Course Summary
Prepare to enter a world without limits, where the power of words and the potential of your imagination combine.
There has never been a more exciting time to be a writer. The internet has changed the world, increasing the scope for writers and their work. Our course recognises and embraces these opportunities. At UEL, we’re building a community of writers and artists with something to say about themselves, and about the world.
Our unique programme invites you to experiment and dare to challenge traditional ways of looking at ‘genre’ in writing. We encourage you to explore multi-media approaches to your work and to experiment with poetry, prose, drama and different media.
We’ll help you find your own path as a writer. You’ll be introduced to various types of writing across a range of disciplines, paving your way for employment in many different areas where your skills will be highly valued.
If you don’t meet the entry requirements for a BA, you can study this course as an ‘extended’, four-year programme . You'll begin by taking a foundation year which prepares you for a successful transition to the BA degree.
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN
One of the key concepts in creative writing is ‘show, don’t tell’. That applies to both our teaching philosophy as well as our approach to writing. So at UEL we will show you how to become the writer you want to be.
How? By providing you during your three-year course with a programme that offers stimulating readings, group discussions, lectures and creative assignments. You’ll learn all about fiction writing, poetry, screenwriting and creative non-fiction in a dynamic progression.
“It's about getting your feet wet in year one, experimenting in year two and, in your final year, working to professional standards,” says lecturer and internationally published author Tessa McWatt.
The core modules examine different contexts of writing and analyse literary forms and structures. You’ll learn how to write effectively in a host of different genres.
It’s a course that allows for specialisation, too. Optional workshops include hybrid genres and screenwriting. In your final year, for your dissertation, you can develop an extended piece of creative writing which particularly interests you.
HOW YOU'LL LEARN
You'll be taught by a range of staff, many of whom are practitioners in the area they teach. Many of the assessments focus on practical skills that ensure that the practice-led teaching is relevant to industry and practice. Our staff are well placed to take advantage of a range of professional networks and industry contact. Each module is designed with practical components and a reflective component, with the intention that students develop an ability to comment on and justify their creative process.
When not attending timetabled lectures or workshops, you will be expected to continue learning independently through self-study. This will typically involve skills development through online study, reading books and articles, working on individual and group projects and preparing coursework assignments and presentations. Your independent learning is supported by a range of excellent facilities including online resources, specialist facilities, such as edit suites, the library, the full Microsoft Office software, including MS Teams, and Moodle: our Virtual Learning Environment.
Our academic support team provides help in a range of areas – including learning and disability support.
When you arrive, we'll introduce you to your personal tutor. This is the member of the academic course team who will provide academic guidance, be a support throughout your time at UEL and who will show you how to make the best use of all the help and resources that we offer.
Each year you will spend around 300 hours of timetabled learning and teaching activities. These may be lectures, workshops, seminars and individual and group tutorials or a combination. Contact hours may vary depending on each module.
The approximate percentages for this course are:
Year 1: scheduled teaching – 300 hours; guided independent study – 900 hours.
Year 2: scheduled teaching – 300 hours; guided independent study – 900 hours.
Year 3: scheduled teaching – 300 hours; guided independent study – 900 hours.
Your individualised timetable is normally available within 48 hours of enrolment. Whilst we make every effort to ensure timetables are as student-friendly as possible, scheduled teaching can take place on any day of the week between 9.00am and 6.00pm. For undergraduate students, Wednesday afternoons are normally reserved for sports and cultural activities, but there may be occasions when this is not possible. Timetables for part-time students will depend on the modules selected.
For most modules, class sizes will be up to 20 students. For some modules, which may be shared with another course, it may be up to 50.
YOUR FUTURE CAREER
Danielle Jawando, who studied here for both her BA and MA, has recently been writing for major TV soap operas, while talented young playwright Jonny O’Neill had his first EastEnders episode screened in September 2014.
Jawando attributes much of her success to the support she received from her tutors here. “I developed the confidence to try new things and most importantly, to send my work out,” she recalls.
As a result, she was shortlisted to write for Emmerdale and had a short story published while still studying at UEL. O’Neill, meanwhile, has seen his debut play, The Royal Duchess Superstore, open on the professional stage in London.
Our course can open all sorts of other workplace doors, too, because it hones and enhances so many transferable skills suitable for different professions.
Employers want applicants with the sort of communication and writing skills you’ll learn here. Our students have gone on to work in areas such as screenwriting, copywriting, teaching and journalism.
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